Music / Previews
Metal & Prog Picks: August 2023
Symphonic metal, death metal, New Orleans sludge . . . there’s no shortage of musical treats this month. Plus Bristol’s best music festival, ArcTanGent, bringing the likes of Heilung and Devin Townsend to a farm on the outskirts of the city. See you down the front.
Fleece, August 9
is needed now More than ever
Symphonic metal from Austria? Oh, yes please. Heavily influenced by Nightwish, Visions of Atlantis (could there be a more symphonic metal band name?) pay their first visit to Bristol in support of their new album, Pirates, on Napalm. They’re now fronted by French soprano Clémentine Delauney, who’s worked with the likes of Myrath, Leaves’ Eyes and Tarja Turunen. Support comes from Seraina Telli, former vocalist with Swiss metallers Burning Witches.
Fleece, August 15
“This is the 47th time we’ve played the Fleece,” announced Eyehategod vocalist Mike Williams on a previous visit. The NOLA sludgers are certainly a hard-livin’ bunch of veteran road warriors, as evidenced by the title of their 2001 compilation: 10 Years of Abuse (and Still Broke). Drummer Joey LaCaze succumbed to respiratory failure back in 2014 and crazed vocalist Williams underwent (thankfully successful) liver transplant surgery back in 2016 as a result of what he described as “the ravages of a hard life lived”. (His chum Randy Blythe of Lamb of God deputised for him during that year’s tour.) Never especially prolific, they actually got round to releasing their sixth album, A History of Nomadic Behaviour, in 2021. They’ll have to be on top form to upstage their regular touring partners, Japan’s splendidly Sabbathy, serial killer-obsessed ‘murder doom’ outfit Church of Misery, who played their own headline show here back in 2014. Their new album Born Under a Mad Sign is out on Rise Above.
Fernhill Farm, August 16-19
These days, Bristol boasts festivals catering to every niche audience. But who’d have predicted back in the last century that we’d get our very own, well-established fest celebrating all things heavy and progressive? Winner of Best Small Festival at the 2018 Festival Awards, the three-day ArcTanGent boasts more than 100 acts spread over five alternating stages, with something for everyone (who likes their music loud). Highlights are a matter of personal choice and taste, but we’re looking forward to Bristol’s very own Svalbard, alongside Brutus, Elder and Pigsx7 on Thursday. Friday’s headliner is the brilliant German-Norwegian collective Heilung, heading west for the very first time. Self-styled purveyors of ‘amplified history from early medieval northern Europe’, they don’t play metal in any conventional sense, using only instruments that were available in the Iron Age – mostly drums, bones (including human bones) and spears. Expect a stunning ceremonial performance. Also playing on Friday are the great Enslaved and fab Aussie prog-metallers Caligula’s Horse. ArcTanGent secured a real coup for their Saturday headliner by bagging Canuck genius Devin Townsend, who’s packed virtually all of Bristol’s best venues over the years (Bierkeller, Fleece, St. George’s, Trinity, O2 Academy, the Hall formerly known as Colston). Also on Saturday’s excellent bill are VOLA, Haken and that crazy Frenchman Igorr.
Thekla, August 25
Remember that time Amon Amarth played the Thekla when they should have been over at the Academy? The place was packed to the poop deck and it was so hot you could barely breathe. This is going to be much the same. Veteran Florida death metallers Obituary’s previous show in Bristol was at Motion with Carcass back in 2015. They’re been doing this stuff for nearly 40 years and their eleventh album, Dying of Everything, is out now on Relapse. Fascinating trivia fact: drummer Donald Tardy runs a cat sanctuary named Metal Meowlisha. It goes without saying that this show is already sold out.
Main image of Heilung: Andy Julia/Season of Mist
COMING SOON
Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.
Karnataka, Fleece, Sept 3
Trivium, O2 Academy, Sept 4
Hayseed Dixie, Fleece, Sept 12
Rosalie Cunningham, Chapel Arts Centre, Bath, Sept 13
Nekrogoblikon, Thekla, Sept 22
Martin Turner Ex-Wishbone Ash, Chapel Arts Centre, Bath, Sept 22
Lord of the Lost, Thekla, Sept 24
Oli Brown & the Dead Collective, Louisiana, Sept 25
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, SWX, Sept 29
This Will Destroy You/The Ocean, Fleece, Oct 2
Wishbone Ash, St. George’s, Oct 3
The Obsessed, Exchange, Oct 5
Black Stone Cherry, Fleece, Oct 5
Municipal Waste, Marble Factory, Oct 6
The Winery Dogs, Marble Factory, Oct 7
Jared James Nichols/DeWolff, Fleece, Oct 16
Alcest, SWX, Oct 16
Rival Sons, O2 Academy, Oct 21
The Dust Coda, Fleece, Oct 26
Skindred, O2 Academy, Oct 28
Employed to Serve, Exchange, Nov 1
Fear Factory, SWX, Nov 4
Elder, Fleece, Nov 7
The Raven Age, Exchange Nov 15
Focus, Fleece, Nov 16
Atreyu, SWX, Nov 20
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Fleece, Nov 21
Gong/Ozric Tentacles, O2 Academy, Nov 24
Battle Beast, Fleece, Nov 26
Green Lung, Thekla, Nov 26
Extreme/Living Colour, O2 Academy, Dec 3
Danko Jones, Thekla, Dec 12
The Darkness, Bristol Beacon, Dec 14
TesseracT, O2 Academy, Feb 22 2024
Rick Wakeman, Bristol Beacon, Feb 28 2024
10cc, Bristol Beacon, March 7 2024
Jethro Tull, Bristol Beacon, April 17 2024
Yes, Bristol Beacon, May 31 2024
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